for being weak. We know because we purchased some and had to baby them and they still didn’t do well. The Boer goat was bred to be a strong, healthy animal that produced a lot of meat. After a couple of years, we traveled the country looking for and purchasing quality animals. They were expensive, but it paid off in healthy animals. Like in any stock, quality is needed to breed quality.”
If the Carrolls have an unhealthy animal, they have learned to let it die rather than keep unhealthy stock. The result has been a top quality herd that is much more parasite resistant. Goats, like all animals living in the south will have internal parasites. If the goats are allowed to browse over a wider area and are not confined to cramped feeding areas the parasite problem is greatly reduced.
“Our goats are wormed only when needed,” stated Linda. “They have not been wormed in 4 months and are in excellent condition. We do check weekly to make sure that parasites are not becoming a problem.”
Depending upon the browse and quality of the pasture, one can easily feed 5 to 10 goats per acre. The Carrolls’ goats are totally pasture fed in the summer.
The Carrolls consider themselves browse raisers. The goats are their harvesters. “We supplement in winter with a pelleted feed to insure the animals receive the nutrients they need. But in growing season they get nothing but the pasture and minerals,” said Linda. |